mikeyb6s4

Hey guys, just looking for a few pointers on the car, or era of the same car. I'm looking for anything between 1978 and 1984 911 under $10,000. Looking at a small project. not a fixer upper or anything. My main question is are there any significant problems or trouble spots to look at before considering purchasing one of these cars. I own a 2004 Audi S4 now and just sold a 2000 S4. The 2000 was born with problems. I'm trying to get around that. I intend on doing all my work myself. Thank you for your time.

Amber Gramps

Welcome to Rennlist. This is a great place to start your journey into 911 ownership. The SC is a great car and deals can be found, but I'm not sure you are going to find many in the $10,000 range. Be patient and keep looking in www.autotraderclassics.com and you may find what you are looking for.

gtihop

Buying an SC for under 10K will still end up costing you almost 20K in the end. Been there, still doing it. Better off to look for a good one for more money. Chances are if it's under 10K, it'll need engine work, trans work and paint work. Also if it's a targa, make sure the roof is in good shape and fits right. I bought an 83 targa for $9500 about 4 years ago with little miles on it. I'm up to over 16K and still not even close to done yet to make a decent car!

theiceman

I think these cars are very solid and any car would need a PPI before purchase. But before you get there just look for hydraulic tensioner upgrades , perhaps turbo tie rod ends and get a copy of the used 9111 story and your good to go .

mikeyb6s4

Thanks for the input. The owner of the 76' that I am looking at had a ppi done on it and most of the fix its are minimal little things, but add up to around 11,000 in parts and labor from a Porsche dealership in Los Angeles. Parts were only around $3000 from the "stealership" so I know that I can find them cheaper and do all the work myself. I am going to check it out this weekend. The 83' I found has a rebuilt engine and new paint. I'm sure theres more the owner didnt mention, but its worth checking out. I'll definitely keep in touch with you guys on my progress of this investment. By the way, i am somewhat looking for a fixer upper. It's meant to be an on going project for myself. I know there will be tons of money involved and that doesnt bother me at this time.

theiceman

okay hold on ... you originally said 78 on,, pre 78 is A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY and are considered by some to be the worst Porsches for problems. Unless they are fully sorted and you would need documentation to prove it .

blake

I personally don't like the 2.7 aluminum crank case in the '74-77. "SCs" (78-83) are bulletproof engines, so I would recommend sticking to those model years. And to iceman's point above, look for the pop-off valve on the airbox as well (simple upgrade)...

BTW Iceman - my 79 Targa was the same color as yours.... though I did not have a tail...

-B

theiceman

Blake mine didn't either as you probably figured out . The previous owner added it and I must say I like it .. That speedester is freakin awesome .. you must spend forever detailing it ..

Ed Hughes

You're better off budgeting $15K-17K for the car. As noted, a 10K 911 will cost you a few thousand bucks out of the chute anyway.

I'd look at SC's and Carreras. If you find an '84 or '85 for this money that is in decent shape, you ha

blake

I forgot that was your thread a while back! Yes, the pop off valve is ESSENTIAL - just ask iceman.

And thanks... Nothing looks better than black when it is clean, however I will never buy a black car again!

-B

theiceman

... no ... i would like to offically say one again .. I have NO pop off valve and never will. My air box blew because of pilot error and even a pop off the size of a manhole cover would not have saved that baby .

If your looking at cars and you see a pop off valve it could mean that the car is backfiring through the intake. It may mean that the guy put it on just in case , but you never know.

if you find a car that is running smooth and has no pop of valve , you can conclude it is not backfiring because if it was he would have a blown airbox. When I bought this car and I saw no pop off valve I was quick to grab it after firing it up and hearing how well it started and how smooth it sounded.

BTW i even glued the two halfs of my old bax back together and am keeping it as a spare ..